Tulip Time Spring Cruise through Holland and Belgium

Day by Day Itinerary
 

Every day brings fresh delights and new places to visit on our Danube River Christmas Markets Cruise.

You'll travel through beautiful scenery and visit lovely towns in both Austria and Germany.

Day 1 (Saturday 16 April - or sooner) :  Leave the US

You can either make your own arrangements to travel to Amsterdam, or else take advantage of the air addon to the cruise fare (see below for costs/details).

You should leave the US today or earlier, so as to arrive in Amsterdam on Sunday (or sooner) in time for the start of the Tulip Time River Cruise.

Day 2 (Sunday 17 April)  :  Board our cruise boat in Amsterdam

Welcome to Amsterdam, a modern city with a rich and fascinating history.

Stroll along the canals of this delightful 700-year-old European capital with its elegant and classic architecture, cafés, restaurants, lively marketplace and exciting nightlife. Perhaps visit one of the city’s renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum or the Hortus-botanical gardens. You will find the Anne Frank house here as well.

The city is also noted for its diamond cutting trade, and tours are available to diamond cutting workshops.

Tonight meet your fellow passengers at a Welcome Dinner.

Included meals - Dinner

Day 3 (Monday 18 April) :  AMSTERDAM / VOLENDAM / EDAM / ENKHUIZEN

Enjoy a morning cruise through the historic canals of Amsterdam. After, there’s time to shop before your ship sails out of Amsterdam Harbour.

A short cruise on the Ijsselmeer takes you to Volendam. This is a day to savor the historic Dutch ports and lifestyle of the old Zuider Zee.

The afternoon tour takes you from Volendam to the village of Edam, famous for its wonderful cheese.

Continue through an area noted for its tulip fields before returning to your ship in Enkhuizen, a charming port village with a rich maritime past, narrow cobblestone streets and fortified gates.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 (Tuesday 19 April) :  ARNHEM

Early this morning arrive in Arnhem.

Tour the Airborne Museum Hartenstein, which shows the course of events during the Battle of Arnhem, one of the major tragedies of World War II. General Montgomery failed to capture the Rhine bridge in Arnhem to reach Berlin and finish the war by Christmas 1944.

After the museum tour, return to your luxurious ship around lunchtime and spend a leisurely afternoon and evening cruising through Holland and on to Belgium.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 (Wednesday 20 April) :  ANTWERP, BELGIUM

This morning, enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Antwerp, one of the world’s most important ancient seaports. See the ‘Grote Markt’ with its beautiful city hall and the Church of Our Lady, and admire the city’s superb architecture.

The afternoon is free to explore Antwerp on your own or take an optional excursion to nearby Brussels.

After dinner your cruise departs for Ghent.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 (Thursday 21 April) :  GHENT

Disembark after breakfast for a guided sightseeing tour of Ghent, the fourth largest city of Belgium.

This city is the real diamond of Flanders. In a unique way, Ghent has managed to preserve its medieval charm and power, while keeping up with the times. The city center alone is a showcase of medieval Flemish wealth and commercial success.

The afternoon is free to explore Ghent further or to take an optional excursion to Bruges, one of Europe’s most perfectly preserved medieval cities.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 (Friday 22 April) :  ZIERIKZEE, HOLLAND / DORDRECHT

This morning, sail through the Dutch region of Zeeland.

Here you will find one of the world’s most complex engineering projects, the Delta Works, which took over 30 years to complete. After the flood of 1953 the Delta Plan was born to prevent another disaster of this magnitude. The four great sea-arms in the southwest of the Netherlands were closed by dams.

Stop in charming Zierikzee for a walking tour and spend some free time to shop or explore on your own. Then continue to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland. Near Dordrecht are the 18th century windmills of Kinderdijk, the largest group of original mills in Holland.

Tonight, enjoy a special music performance on board.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 (Saturday 23 April) :  SCHOONHOVEN / KEUKENHOF / AMSTERDAM

Leave Dordrecht early in the morning and cruise to Schoonhoven, where you can spend some free time exploring this quaint village.

From here, a leisurely cruise along the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal takes you to Utrecht. Disembark for an afternoon excursion to the famous Keukenhof Gardens and see a spectacular display of bulb flowers in bloom. Keukenhof also offers several lakes, sculpture gardens, greenhouses, a windmill open for inspection and several terraces to relax.

Before dinner, return to your ship in Amsterdam.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 (Sunday 24 April) :  Cruise ends in Amsterdam

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight home, or extend your vacation any which way you choose.

Included Meals: Breakfast